Hearing assistance devices are electronic devices that provide signal processing functions such as noise reduction, amplification, and tone control. In many hearing assistance devices these and other functions can be programmed to fit the requirements of individual users. Performance of a user's hearing assistance device, while the device is in the user's ear, is difficult to measure. However, such measurements may enable better programming of a user's hearing assistance device because each user's ear is different.
Real ear measurement (REM) attempts to measure the actual sound produced by the hearing assistance device in an ear canal of a wearer of the device. Without real ear measurements, the fitting software of the hearing assistance device estimates the sound pressure level in the ear canal based on average ear geometry. This may be highly inaccurate.
What is needed in the art is an improved system for real ear measurement. The system for real ear measurement should be available for use with various hearing assistance devices, such as hearing aids.